


Hush

by Taeyn



Series: Lotura [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Affection, Canon Prequel, Established Relationship, F/M, Fever, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Galrentines exchange 2018, Hair Washing, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Illness, Sickfic, hugs and cuddling, quiet feels, sick!Lotor, sick!allura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 08:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13677582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taeyn/pseuds/Taeyn
Summary: Lotor smiles again, gives a comforted shiver as she gently pins back his ears, cups her palms over the tips of them until they feel less cold. He flicks the tip of one ear in a gesture of affection- and a little to amuse her- and Allura cuddles closer, presses her cheek against his.-Prince Lotor and Allura take care of each other while sick.





	Hush

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Longpig](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Longpig/gifts).



> for @lotors-saltwife ~surprise~!! I was smiling a lot when I saw I had you again, I really hope you don’t mind more of these two from me! :’33 I was super torn about whether to try for another of your pairings so you’d have something completely different, but at the same time, I felt I could write something a tiny bit longer/fluffier for your prompts with lotura <3 <3 It really did turn out very fluffy though, I hope so much that you like!! Happy Galrantines Day!! *^^*

**.i.**

Allura walks quietly through the halls of the palace, her helmet beneath her arm and short-haul equipment satchel over her shoulder. In truth, she’d guessed this was coming for days, but with a mission to prepare for and plenty of duties in the meantime, Allura’s used to ignoring such things and pushing through.

She massages a thumb and fingertip above the bridge of her nose as she reaches her quarters, her body aching and far too warm beneath her lightweight flightsuit.

Now, it seemed, a day off was on the horizon whether she’d choose it or not.

 

-

 

“Knock knock,” Allura says softly, her mouth pulls at the edges as she peers around the door. Lotor turns at the sound, he’s halfway through removing his training gear, tongue poised over his sharper teeth as he checks the settings inside his helmet. It drops from his hand as soon as he sees her, his jaw gritted in affection as he strides over to gather her in an embrace.

“Do I get another last hug?” Lotor asks, and he wraps himself in her arms, not waiting for an answer. It wasn’t two vargas ago that he said goodbye to her outside the briefing chamber, but she hugs him back just as tightly now too, Lotor dipping his head so that his brow presses against hers.

“I always need one,” he offers, and though his gaze is tender he’s also sincere, eyebrows pinched in the middle as he tries to read her. He leans into her touch as Allura trails a hand through his hair, the line of his shoulders easing at the unspoken reassurance.

“I won’t be heading off on the mission after all,” Allura says with a sigh, gives an affectionate roll of her eyes to amuse him. “My immune system has terrible timing. I didn’t pass the pre-departure medical.”

For a moment, Lotor simply blinks. Allura barely ever falls ill, and having to withdraw from a diplomatic expedition was clearly nothing close to what he was expecting. Now that Allura thinks about it, she can’t remember the last time she’s even missed a sparring session.

“You’re unwell?” he asks, voice slightly clipped as he frowns. Lotor raises a hand to her cheeks, hovers his palm as if seeking her permission. Allura smiles and twines her hand over his, lets his fingertips gently press below her jaw and ears, trying to feel for anything swollen.

“The medics were very thorough,” Allura murmurs, cups his fingers and kisses the back of them. “It’s just this same silly thing that’s going round. Nothing too exciting, I promise.”

Lotor’s chest lifts with a breath, eyes narrowed as he tries to collect himself. He always looks that much harder when he’s worried, eyes dark and mouth set to an unforgiving line. Allura stands up on tiptoe, his exhale warm on her ear as he lowers his chin to her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Lotor asks eventually, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features as this, seemingly, isn’t quite what he’s reaching for. His hand splays at the back of her neck, nails tugging through her loose strands of hair.

“Yes,” says Allura, and she means it. “Just a few days of putting my feet up ahead. Possibly a bit of a challenge at first, but…”

She offers a wry shrug, Lotor’s expression softening as Allura gently touches her ear to the inside of his wrist. He brushes his thumb to mend the vague trace of sweat at her brow, then tentatively reaches for her helmet, tries to make himself useful by recalibrating Allura’s equipment settings too.

“I’m here,” he says huskily, less shadowed as he straightens.

“I know,” Allura whispers.

They help each other out of their training suits- Allura’s is the more manageable, built for piloting rather than combat, but Lotor carefully eases her out of the protective synthskin regardless, Allura wincing in relief to stand in her shorts and singlet instead. Allura unclips the last of Lotor’s chest and shoulder plates, then steadies him as he gets around the heavier armored panels of his boots. The effort leaves her slightly dizzy but she likes the ritual of it, they’ve been pulling each other free from all sorts of training gear ever since Lotor’s induction as a military cadet.

“I’ll make us some tea,” Lotor murmurs. He shivers a little at the temperature change from his suit, and though Allura knows it’s nothing, she rubs her hands over his arms all the same, fetches one of her looser nightshirts when he can’t find his. It still turns out to be far too small, and rather than risk pulling the seams of it, Lotor wraps it several times over his t-shirt as a makeshift scarf, half his face hidden behind the material to make her smile. Allura leans up and pretends to kiss her shirt where his mouth is, and Lotor laughs and pulls it down, squashes a kiss to the corner of her lips regardless.

“I love you,” Lotor says softly, then gives her a look which Allura can only interpret as- _and that’s final_. Allura brims to a silly smile, then a quieter one as she threads their fingers and doesn’t let go, slowly presses a kiss to the middle of his chest. She can just make out his heartbeat as she rests her cheek to the same spot after, Lotor’s face tucked to her hair and his arms comfortingly heavy around her back and waist. They stand like that as the teapot heats, Lotor stroking his palm over the small of her back, then swapping to the hand that’s less roughened from recent combat drills. Allura likes both the same- his touch feels steady and soothingly familiar, and she feels her eyes fluttering closed as she perks her ear for more. Lotor uses the pads of his fingertips to knead all the places she feels sore, his expression moved and wanted as he realises Allura’s still nestling into him long after the water’s boiled.

“Tell me,” Lotor asks- affectionate and more than a little curious- when they’ve finally distilled the tea. Allura crosses her legs as they sit by the window, Lotor blows lightly into the steam from his mug. He’s brought her a full glass of water too, and though at first Allura doesn’t feel like it, the fact that her glass is empty two tics later hints that her body might feel otherwise.

“Okay, yes, there’s something,” Alura laughs, then settles her cup down on the windowsill between them, still too hot to drink. She bumps her knee against his, Lotor smiling and swallowing mid-sip as his tea nearly spills. He coughs a little- makes a gesture that roughly translates to- _don’t mind me, the tea’s actually very good_ \- and Allura quickly holds out her palm so the cup doesn’t drip on him, her smile more on the side of apologetic.

“If you wanted,” Allura says after a time, skips her thumb over Lotor’s. “I could recommend you for the mission in my place.”

Lotor, who had been following her stare out the window, abruptly raises an eyebrow, turns back toward her in surprise.

“It’s one of the sub-aqua quadrants you wanted to visit,” Allura continues, sincere. “And you’re more than qualified.”

She holds his gaze, letting him know that truly, and not just in gesture- it would be alright. While she understands Lotor might feel reluctant to leave her, she also knows it’ll only be for a few quintants, she only has the very slightest of colds, and the opportunity is quite a rare and special one.

Lotor sips a breath, then lets his head lean on Allura’s shoulder, softly nips at her collarbone and stares back toward the night.

“No thank you,” he whispers. Allura draws his hands to rest in her lap, sleepily tugging each of his fingers. She returns a kiss to his hair as his skin prickles in drowsy pleasure, he stretches his fingers a little and Allura laughs and does it again.

“You would offer the same, if it were me,” she says gently, and Lotor makes a rough sort of sound with his throat- true or not, that doesn’t mean he has to like it.

“I promise I’m not that ill,” Allura tries one last time, though in her heart she knows his answer is already made.

“That sounds like me too,” Lotor mutters, but his mouth twitches as he makes her smile.

They gaze out over the palace gardens, Lotor nudging the cup of tea back into Allura’s hands, Allura rearranging so she can better cuddle. Allura loves when the skies are clear like this, the constellations all reflected in the garden’s pools and fountains, lapping and fading with the stars. Sick or no, she wouldn’t change a thing about being here with Lotor too, their limbs quietly tangled, the tip of his ear cold at her cheek.

He curls a hand into hers, nails catching tenderly at the inside of her palm. She squeezes his fingertips. Lotor squeezes back.

 

-

 

When Allura wakes, Lotor’s by her side. He’s sleeping, the line of his mouth uneven and lashes brushing his cheeks, a hand sprawled loosely and his fingers still open where Allura had been holding on. Though her fever’s only risen a few notches, Allura feels far worse for the wear, her throat stinging and her muscles all sore. She quiets a miserable-sounding sniffle in her sleeve, Lotor raising a clumsy hand to scuff between her shoulders.

“Ahh, I’m sorry,” Allura whispers, then cringes as she hears her voice, half her syllables coarse and blurry. “I was trying not to wake you.”

Lotor makes a sympathetic sound, still sleepy enough that it comes out as a growl. He rubs her back again when Allura muffles a cough, Allura sniffling apologetically when Lotor only draws her closer, instinctively wanting to comfort her.

“Nhn… don’t be…” he mumbles, buries his head in her shoulder as he tries his best not to yawn. Allura smudges the tears from his eyes and smiles when this doesn’t work, Lotor blinking and nuzzling his face against her neck, softly cupping his hand to her cheek as he realises how warm she is.

“May I try something?” Lotor asks quietly, his eyebrows tipping upward in concern. Allura nods, then watches as he slowly- almost shyly- shucks free his nightshirt, stomach arching and his collar squeezing over his face as he manages it without sitting up.

“I’m feeling better already,” Allura whispers, and Lotor breathes out a laugh, tries not to look all too flattered. He pushes the blankets aside, lays himself on his back so he won’t be squashing her. Lotor ventures out his arms, dips his chin hopefully toward his chest. Allura, who wants nothing more than to cuddle, gently climbs on top of him before she does something embarrassing like cry, presses a thankful kiss to the hollow of his throat.

“ _Oh-_ ” she breathes a moment later, glances up in surprise. Lotor’s resting temperature runs several degrees lower than hers, but with the unfamiliar heat of her fever, his touch feels blissfully soothing. Lotor tentatively folds his arms around her, purposefully not leaning with his full weight.

“I won’t make you too hot?” Allura worries, her voice cracking with feeling, Lotor’s cool skin at her temple already easing the ache behind her eyes. She curls into him gratefully, feels the tension lift from her frame as his fingers card through her hair.

“Shh, no,” Lotor says softly, makes an emotional-sounding click with his throat. “Let me be protective.”

Allura smiles, feels the steady rise and dip of his chest as he breathes.

“Thank you for carrying me to bed earlier,” Allura murmurs. She weaves her fingers between the gaps of his, holding him too.

“I’m attempting to even our score,” Lotor hums, trying to cheer her a little. Allura brims to a wry smile- the memory of having to carry her tall and rather heavy partner all the way through Daibazaal Palace somehow always does.

“...from _one_ glass of nunville…” she teases, and Lotor nudges a kiss to her ear, doesn’t even insist that it was three.

They lay like that, Lotor quietly retelling a story from his childhood to comfort her, Allura sniffling self-consciously and hoping Lotor somehow doesn’t notice. For all her efforts, Allura eventually has little choice but to gather a handful of tissues, she turns away to spare Lotor any discomfort from it. When Allura glances back, Lotor’s looking at her rather oddly, halfway between endeared and perplexed.

“Oh stop it,” Allura laughs, grabs some more tissues and turns away again. “You don’t even sneeze in front of me. I’m not being the gross one.”

“Eh?” Lotor blurts, increasingly amused. “I’ve done that plenty of times!”

“You have not,” Allura says seriously, and Lotor props himself up on one elbow, rests his cheek in the heel of his hand. “You always…”

Lotor’s eyes widen, thoroughly mystified, and Allura sits up too, raises her fist and does an affectionate impression of Lotor’s polite held-in sneeze.

Lotor bursts out laughing.

“Hmm,” he agrees, reaches for the jug of water when Allura ends up having to cough again. “And here I thought I was being dignified.”

Allura grins and sips at the water until her coughing subsides, the sound far less subtle than she’d like.

“I suppose that was a bit gross,” she sighs apologetically, as if trying to offer him some kind of truce. Lotor, who’s already commandeering the crook of her arm for a pillow, looks somewhat surprised by the sentiment.

“Allura, I adore you,” he says gently, touches his cheek to hers.

“...it’s just me,” he murmurs, when he can see she still feels worried.

“You know I’ve been in military training since I could walk,” Lotor tries after a moment, and this, Allura knows, it’s not as much of an exaggeration as it first sounds. “…let’s just say I have quite a high threshold for gross.”

He sucks his tongue over one of his teeth, an odd mixture of wry and sincere, Allura can feel her eyes getting more and more watery as Lotor draws her in for a hug.

“Sorry,” she tries to joke, “this is all making me feel better, even though it doesn’t seem like it.”

Lotor presses a kiss to her shoulder when the words don’t come.

_Definitely ill then_ , Allura admits to herself, because she only gets so unexpectedly teary when she is. She remembers _her_ first visit to one of Daibazaal’s training outposts, where she’d come down with a severe stomach bug from eating food at a skip-point planet the day before. They’d been young and it was years ago, Allura had cried non-stop almost the whole night, Lotor drying her eyes and holding her up over the basin, telling her about pranks his fellow cadets all play on each other to calm her down. He hadn’t even minded the time they didn’t quite make it, stayed and hugged her in the shower though Allura had really only been sick on herself.

“What are you thinking?” Lotor whispers, and Allura tucks her face into his hair, the familiar scent of him comforting her and making her teary all over again.

“Just… old things,” Allura sniffles, and they swap blurry, lopsided smiles.

“You’ll make me cry too,” Lotor warns, but Allura shakes her head and gives a croaky laugh.

“Not with the skip-point story I won’t,” she assures him, and Lotor can’t help a low sound as he remembers, they’ve had enough embarrassing moments in front of each other that the worst ones always seems funny in retrospect.

“You were far braver about it than I ever could have been,” Lotor admits, sighing in regret. “You travelled all that way because I said I missed you. And then you kept insisting I didn’t have to keep you company when you were ill.”

“Because it was ten levels of _awful!_ ” Allura pulls a face, but Lotor only shrugs and nestles closer as he stretches, as if to reiterate that this is far below what could ever gross him out. Allura shakes her head, playfully incredulous as they settle back into each other. Lotor grins and ducks into his wrist, manages another wide yawn despite all his attempts to stop it.

“I was glad you did stay,” Allura murmurs after a while, she’s certain she already told him, but it means enough to her that she wants to make sure. Lotor looks up at her, and Allura reaches to brush the strands of hair from his face, fingertips scraping the angle of his hairline when he blinks more than a few times.

“I’m always so glad,” Allura continues, wanting him to know that it’ll never mean any less, no matter how many times he doesn’t listen when she tells him she’ll be fine. “...when you stay.”

Lotor sips a breath, mouth hardened in affection, a tear spills beneath his lashes before he presses his eye to her shirt.

“Stop that,” he whispers, twitches an accusing smile as he turns his face for the other eye too. “I always will.”

 

 

**.ii.**

When Allura wakes again, sunlight is filtering through her window, Allura feels far less exhausted despite a relatively short sleep. Lotor’s left a note saying he’s bringing them something from the traders market, so Allura wraps herself in her dressing gown, goes into the washroom to splash some water on her face. Her eyes look slightly puffy but she otherwise feels presentable, she wanders toward her balcony to see if she can spot Lotor walking back to the palace.

“ _Goodness_ -” Allura breathes as soon as she pulls back the doors. Instead of the morning view of the gardens, all she can see is fog, it must’ve rolled in from the river's edge overnight. Allura can just make out the silhouette of the palace greenhouse, and then closer to the footbridge, the shadow of a path. Normally she’d find it all quite mesmerising, but she doesn’t like to think how easy it might be to get lost in the haze, the traders market has enough winding and narrow streets as it is.

Frowning, it doesn’t take another tic for Allura to reach a decision, she can find her way around Altea’s inner districts with her eyes shut. Keeping the balcony doors open in case she should hear anything, Allura swiftly changes into her training suit, pulls her hair into a high bun and uncoils her energy rope from her equipment pouch. Jogging back out to the balcony, she fastens the rope securely around one of the solid stone fixtures, tests her knot firmly with her weight, then clips it to the safety join at the waist of her suit. The one advantage of the fog will be no one to spot her using her balcony as a training rig- there’s the palace stairs, of course, but Allura’s not one for wasting time when she has the means to a much more effective descent. Allura gracefully leaps from the edge, the rope slowing her fall at the exact point she planned, allowing her to flip and land steadily on her feet, braced and ready for action.

Lotor stares unblinkingly back at her, paused mid-stride down the path as he carries two small beverages and a rolled paper bag in his hands.

“Good morning,” Allura offers lightly, clears her throat and dusts off her hands, as if she might only be going for a casual stroll rather than racing off to save him.

“I was gone… for less than six doboshes,” Lotor says flatly, mouth pulling at the corner.

“Yes, just enough time to prepare for trouble,” Allura agrees, unable to hold her straight face. “I do hope you didn’t think I might be spending my sick day relaxing!”

“Ancients forbid it,” says Lotor, and he slits his eyes as he can’t help a smile. Allura stands up on tiptoe as he leans down for a one-armed cuddle, his food and takeaway drinks all neatly held in a single hand.

“This smells wonderful,” Allura says gratefully, and Lotor gives her ear an affectionate nip, tentatively pleased with himself.

“I bought two different spice teas,” he offers, squinting into the steam vent of each cup. “There’s the one with the crushed seeds, and then that sweet one, with the tree sap.”

“The flower nectar?” Allura laughs, then takes the more bitter of the two, she knows Lotor tends to like sweeter things in the morning. Lotor narrows his eyes, fond, but a happy expression lights over his face as he sips at the nectar tea, licks the cup when the low-quality seal causes a drip down the side. The bitter tea clears Allura’s head almost instantly, it has a warm, roasted aroma that brings to mind winter evenings and crackling woodfires.

“It’s alright?” Lotor murmurs, and Allura nods, Lotor wraps his arms around her from behind as they look out over the mist. Allura tucks one of her hands into his sleeve, Lotor making a rough, soothed sort of sound from his chest. The vapor seems to be thinning now, the twigs of various plants and hedges poking out at various intervals, the clouds slowly unfurling and seeping into the ground. It gives the whole garden a rather sublime, ghostly feel, and Allura feels Lotor shiver at the exact same time she does, they swap equally amused squints as they finish their teas.

“Shall we make our getaway?” Allura says playfully, tugs at the energy rope still affixed to her waist. It won’t be long before they have no cover at all, and though Allura was only teasing about not relaxing on her sick day, neither of them have ever been much good at resisting a dash of adventure.

“Roger that, team leader,” Lotor agrees, and he squashes their empty cups, holds his paper bag in his teeth and wraps his arms snugly around Allura’s front. Allura holds her rope with both hands to account for the extra weight, then pulls firmly against the fibres, the rope recoiling effortlessly back toward the balcony. Lotor lets go in the tic before they land, allowing Allura time to recover her balance. Their boots hit the floor with as much grace as can be expected, both of them crouching as they take a surreptitious peek at the other upper balconies.

There’s a small silence.

“I did bring a pastry as well,” Lotor muses, and they both look at each other and start laughing ridiculously for no reason whatsoever.

“Oh my stars,” says Allura, and Lotor carefully tears open the paper bag. They split the pastry- it’s a boat-shaped one with berries in the middle- while Lotor tells her about all the new stalls that have popped up at the traders market. If he wasn’t in a hurry he would have liked to browse for a scarf for her, the fabrics imported from the southern quadrants are like none Lotor’s ever seen. Allura’s curiosity is piqued as he tries to describe a colour that’s apparently blue and also burnt bronze, and Lotor finishes his breakfast in surprisingly few bites so he can talk more. He doesn’t realise his loose strand of hair has somehow dipped in the berry jam until Allura leans forward with a napkin, then sucks on it when the juice still won’t come out.

“Bath?” Lotor asks hopefully, and Allura throws him a conspiratorial smile- _you read my mind-_ she gets to her feet and holds out both hands to help Lotor up.

 

-

 

“How were you feeling this morning?” Lotor asks softly, when they’re sitting at the edge of Allura’s spa, one of each of their ankles dipped below the line of bubbles as they wait for the bathing pool to fill. Allura’s other ankle is tucked beneath her, Lotor’s far longer leg spilling affectionately over her lap. He likes keeping his legs smooth for training, and though they feel nothing but silky to Allura, she gently traces a shaving stone over his calf muscle, Lotor can’t help looking touched when Allura fondly holds out her arms for his other leg too.

“A little bit like my head’s underwater,” Allura admits, though the steam from the bath seems to be helping.

“Mm,” Lotor agrees, though he’s not all that much better. Lotor can generally withstand harsher conditions than Allura prefers, but the short run to the markets seems to have left him chilled and sniffling. Allura kisses his knee when she’s finished her pampering, then gathers her towel and wraps it around both of their shoulders, tucks herself against his side. She strokes a hand over Lotor's chest when he trembles, then reaches for one of the small bottles on the spa’s edge, wondering if a drop of distilled oil might help. Lotor likes the scent of the one she’s chosen- citrus, with an almost earthy quality that never fails to soothe her- so Allura pours a little into the bath, hugs him when he keeps needing to clear his throat.

“Sorry,” Lotor whispers, nudges his ear into hers in regret. Allura whispers an affection- something between _my darling_ , and _oh dear_ , her palm still at his chest as she realises how concerned she must look.

When the spa is full, they both enjoy the feeling of sinking beneath the surface, Allura’s hair spindling around her face and neck as she submerges beneath the bubbles. Lotor comes up first with his hair drenched over his face, smiles as Allura swims forward and kisses the tip of his nose. She sits with one knee over each side of his lap as she massages cleansing oils into his scalp, then smooths the lather over the lengths of his hair, parting it into sections and tugging it all back, brushing her fingers through the strands.

“That feels so nice,” Lotor murmurs, then squints and quickly pinches his nose, his brow collides with her shoulder as he holds-in a sneeze.

“See!” Allura grins, tender as she nuzzles his cheek. Lotor sniffles, confused, then slowly brims to a smile as he realises what she means.

“Ach, I forgot,” he laughs. “Next time.”

Allura tips his head back so she can rinse his hair, takes her time as his mouth pulls to a comforted smile. He gives an affectionate growl as Allura tugs through the ends of it, his hair soft and supple despite the amount of time he spends in desert training camps.

“Thank you for this,” he sniffles again, thoroughly relaxed, and Allura moves her fingertips gently down his sides too, knowing he tends to feel sore and tense if he’s getting a cold.

“Love you,” Allura murmurs, and Lotor sits up and gathers her tightly in his arms, whispers it back as he buries his face in her neck.

They sit for a time, Allura adding more citrus oil to the bath for Lotor’s sake, Lotor washing her hair too while they snuggle. He strokes his nails over her scalp when Allura makes an encouraging hum, untangles the knots from their last training skirmish and plaits each section he rinses. His body is taut and flushed from the hot water, the lick of an altean marking above his bellybutton pale and shimmering. Lotor doesn’t have as many as she, most of them slim and vaguely sapphire, barely distinguishable from his skin. Allura looks at it fondly- it’s a half-moon crest, both corners swept downward like an upside-down smile. She traces her fingertip over the edge of it, Lotor reaching for a handful of tissues as he sniffles, his mouth crumpling to a smile.

“I think this was coming for awhile,” Lotor admits, when they’re afterward wrapped in towels on the bed, Allura carefully squeezing out his hair. “Since the ice planet anyhow. I wouldn’t take back a tic of it, though.”

Allura twines her legs over his, Lotor’s hands resting softly in her lap. Not a week earlier they’d been scouting in the polar quadrants, not often accessible due to a shifting belt of asteroids. When one of the planet’s solar cycles had caused a rift of bright colours across the sky, they’d shared a sleeping bag instead of opening the tent, watched as the lights changed over the course of the evening. Neither of them had seen anything like it, hues of green and blue twisting and rising above the snow, rippling like pathways into the dark. Their breath had turned pale in the cool air, ears tucked beneath double-layered hoods and their fingers laced despite wearing thick gloves.

“I wouldn’t either,” Allura whispers, then swallows. They’d been freezing that night- and perhaps there’s something to be said for that- but Allura knows Lotor’s also mentioning it to reassure her, Allura feels more than a little responsible for him falling ill. Lotor turns his head, scrapes his teeth over her fingertip to make her smile.

“At the risk of sounding awfully soppy,” Lotor ventures, his tone deep and crisp and venomous as if to make up for it. He’s about to say more when he notices the stare Allura’s giving him, which is her best attempt to not look like she’s melting into a puddle over the sound of it. Lotor’s just as successful at not looking rather guiltily charmed by her reaction, lowers his voice further as he catches the bend of her finger in his mouth as well.

“It’s nice just being by your side,” Lotor murmurs, and Allura leans forward and kisses his chest, sharing this with all her heart too. “No matter how many expeditions. Sometimes when I’m away, I think of some offhand comment you’ve made to me and I laugh. Well, I smile, which is just as bad. I always have.”

Allura cages her hand through the back of his wet hair, holds him close and tells him again and again, because she’s just as soppy and she’s always wanted to.

_I always loved you. I always knew._

He smiles then, for what feels like forever, Allura laughing as he pulls her across him damp and tangled, hugs her tight as she whispers she’ll never let go.

“Shall we keep being lazy?” he asks eventually, his voice low and no less husky. “Walk by the river for awhile?”

“Mm, yes,” Allura agrees, and Lotor goes to look out the windows to see if the fog has fully cleared. Allura lays out two sets of robes and warm coats on her bed, peers over at Lotor to hear the verdict.

“ _Saich,_ ” he grins, making her laugh with the far more impolite Galran iteration of _quiznak_. “We’ll have to take the stairs.”

 

-

 

When the sun fades behind the mountains some vargas after, Allura and Lotor change back into their training suits, head down to the practice halls for a light workout. They run the helmets through all the proper checks, then help each other with their stretches, complete the full warm-up routine even though it’s just them. Lotor gives her a cuddle before they start, they’ve decided to go with hand-to-hand rather than a simulation.

“Ready?” comes Lotor’s voice through the comm, a little deeper and crackly, since the helmets are meant for long-range communication.

“When you are,” Allura confirms, and they grin at each other across the target space, Lotor loose and poised as he readies himself. It only takes a flinch from Allura and he sprints, Allura bolting to meet him, she leaps and tries for a half-headlock as Lotor whirls past her side. Her hands cuff his shoulders too late, Lotor snagging the front of her suit beneath his forearm, pinning her to the wall. Allura’s boots lift from the ground, but he doesn’t get in close quick enough, she wedges her knees to his chest and pushes forcefully into his armor. Lotor springs backwards, crouches and rolls before Allura can reach him at a run. She reads his expression and realises a tic too late- he darts his leg across her ankles and trips her headfirst, Allura’s hands fly out for a front-flip so she doesn’t nosedive into the mat. He’s already up and steadied when she spins around, throws her a playful smirk and switches his visor to opaque, so she can no longer see his face. Allura snorts and does the same, they’re both breathing fairly hard despite their all their earlier talk of going easy.

“Battle stations,” Allura giggles, when Lotor repositions himself at the edge of the space. This time, she lets Lotor make the first move, he sprints and dips his shoulder when Allura meets him head-on. They trade a swift series of hits as he tries to unbalance her, Allura blocking and watching, she waits for an opening and then seizes his wrist, taps one of the impact-points on his suit before sending him flying over her shoulder. It’s a near-perfect throw but Lotor seems to have been expecting it, he uses her momentum and switches his hold, Allura has to somersault over him to avoid being pulled down too. She pivots as she lands, dives forward to pin him while he’s still on his back. It’s a difficult maneuver and she catches him off-guard, crosses an arm over his chest as he gets both legs round her waist.

“Gotcha,” Lotor hisses, just as agile as she, Allura finds herself flipped onto her back before she’s secured him. He manages a strike to her impact-point before Allura wrestles free, she jumps upright and lands a high-kick to the side of his helmet, enough to make him stumble. Allura gains a fraction of ground, ducks and swoops for a back-kick too. Lotor feints a lunge, whips out of reach when Allura tries to correct for it. His wrist collides neatly with another impact-point- _agh, that’s two_ \- but it also means he can’t throw her over his side when he has the chance. Hedging his bets, Lotor makes for her beacon at the side of the space instead, Allura sprinting wildly after. She gets an arm round his front just in time, the air knocked out of her as they hit the ground with a thud, Allura flat on her back and both arms wrapped below Lotor’s helmet.

“Ready to yield?” Allura pants, firms her grip whilst Lotor’s hands clutch the panels at her wrists. She flicks her visor back to transparent as Lotor does the same, Lotor’s wrestling and laughing so much that she can barely hold on. He whips over to give her an adoring snarl, his cheeks flushed plum violet and his skin damp with sweat.

“Certainly not,” he returns, but he collapses snugly on top of her all the same, Allura embraces him despite the protective equipment.

“How are you feeling?” Allura whispers after a moment, feels his chest lift above her, deep and steady. She swaps their positions so she can be the blanket, arms folded and chin resting affectionately on his front. She can’t help replaying his tactics as they both catch their breath, genuinely impressed by all of his newer sequences.

“Surprisingly alright,” Lotor admits, smiles up at her as Allura helps remove his helmet. She straddles his waist as she removes her own, her hair cascading over her shoulders where her bun has come loose.

“Are you sure?” Allura says softly, cups his hand to her face and gently kisses his palm.

“Definitely alright,” Lotor whispers, and he sits up to meet her, lips brushing her knuckles as he kisses her back.

 

-

 

Later, when the palace is quiet, Allura gathers an armful of blankets and heaps them into a snug, squishy refuge on the balcony. She sits, her back resting against the lattice behind, then holds her arms out to Lotor, who looks more than in need of a cuddle. He’s wrapped in the two thicker quilts, his cheeks flushed and eyes bleary, half-hidden behind several warm layers.

“There you go,” Allura whispers, when Lotor nestles heavily into her arms. She rearranges their various blankets and eases him against her, feels his body shivering miserably against the warmth of hers.

“I thought I might’ve knocked this over by now,” Lotor mumbles, and Allura shakes her head at the implied apology, presses a tender kiss to the crease between his eyebrows.

“Give yourself more than half a day,” she says, her voice low with feeling, she nuzzles his hair as he buries his face in her shoulder. He makes a thankful sound- albeit a little congestedly- and Allura strokes her palm to his cheek, soothes her thumb over the darker shadows below his eyes.

“I suspect-” Lotor tries for a half-smile, but this turns apologetic just as soon as he muffles a cough. “I might be the one keeping you up this time.”

He sniffs, his smile recovering a fraction as Allura tucks him closer against her chest, gathers her arms around his broader frame. Allura’s fever has mostly faded since the night before, and Lotor often tends to get a chill instead.

“We’ve swapped,” she says fondly, and Lotor smiles again as Allura moves her hands to warm the sides of his face. He gives a comforted shiver as she gently pins back his ears, cups her palms over the tips of them until they feel less cold. He flicks the tip of one ear in a gesture of affection- and a little to amuse her- and Allura leans down and nips her teeth to it, suckles when he slits open a hopeful eye.

“Come here, you,” Allura says softly, her mouth pulls at the corners as she suckles the other ear as well, Lotor’s weight sinking into her as his breathing slowly draws even. They swap sleepy smiles as Lotor twitches without meaning to, Allura nudging her cheek against his. She lingers, Lotor gazing at her with a stillness that makes her breath catch a little.

“I love you so much,” he whispers, and though his voice is husky, there’s a gravity to it that makes Allura’s heart swell in her chest. Her throat prickles as she holds him- tight as the first and every time in between. Lotor tries without success to make his expression less severe- but maybe he’s always given her that part of him too, he can’t hide his emotion as he hugs her tightly back.

They snuggle down in the blankets, Allura coaxing Lotor into drinking some cooled tea when his trembling seems to lessen. She wraps her arms around his waist as they stare over the horizon, the white-capped meadows eventually meeting the stars. Allura remembers the way one field peaks to a small crest, how you can look back and see the sunrise over the valley below.

“One day, we should go up there,” Allura murmurs, Lotor squeezing her fingers when she looks at him. He makes a low click, something tender and hoarse, then sniffles, sips an inhale and quickly turns away.

“...Ah. Almost,” Lotor says after a moment, breathes out a laugh as Allura offers a pout of disappointment. He blinks toward his sleeve for a tic longer, just in case, then gingerly rests his chin on her shoulder, nudges a kiss below her ear. He looks oddly touched when Allura returns a kiss to the bridge of his nose, trying to comfort him.

“...oh?” she laughs after a moment, Lotor’s shuffling back and squinting at her through increasingly watery eyes.

“-nh... maybe-” Lotor manages, his voice faltering as his expression wavers. Allura wants to cuddle him, quite charmed by the whole thing, but Lotor catches her hands to stop her, twists aside somewhat desperately as he finally can’t help a sneeze. He follows it with two more, just as breathless, then ventures open an eye, gives a tentative sniffle and flops exhaustedly across the blankets to amuse her, Allura squealing in utter affection at about the same time. Lotor laughs and peeks open the other eye too as Allura half-leaps on him, his cheeks warming terribly despite expecting something much the same.

“So... there you go,” Lotor says shyly, Allura happily fussing with his hair where it’s fallen all over the place. “…that’s, ah-”

“-it was the cutest!” Allura blurts, and Lotor gives up trying to compose himself, clears his throat and gazes up at her, his smile pinched and blurry when Allura flings both arms around him for a hug.

Above them, the first threads of light begin to weave between the stars.

“Thank you for cheering me up,” Lotor whispers some time later, when they’re laying quietly in each other’s arms. Allura draws the clasp of their hands to her chest- they wouldn’t be outside had Lotor not been feeling so awful earlier- but the blankets and night air seemed to have helped, his temperature’s gradually climbed back to normal.

“Shall I carry you?” Allura asks softly, and Lotor grazes his thumb over hers, his expression terse and fragile at once.

_You’re my everything too,_ Allura knows.

“It’s still my turn,” Lotor offers, then gives her one of his less-discernible looks, his eyes shutter closed as Allura touches her brow to his.

“Of course you can,” Allura whispers, she’s holding him just as steadily as Lotor lifts her up in his arms.

Lotor carries her effortlessly back inside their chamber, carefully kneels his way across the mattress and lowers Allura to the middle of their bed. She likes the way he doesn’t let go, sprawls himself on top of her instead of beside, arms heavy and pliable, legs pinned over hers. Allura runs her fingernails over the tip of his ear and down his neck, cuffs her knuckles through the lengths of his hair to soothe him. He yawns, tenderly biting her ear as she gently tugs his hair again, his smile somewhere between vanquished and wry.

“Nh- you’ve got me,” Lotor mumbles fondly, Allura knows his sensitive spots all too well. The line of his mouth slackens, his limbs still warm as he cuddles into her. Allura presses a kiss to his temple, then the corner of his eye as she feels herself drifting, Lotor making a coarse, vulnerable sound as he sleepily nuzzles her back.

“-not too heavy?” he husks, but Allura only tucks closer, softly kisses him again.

She can feel the flicker of his eyelashes as his cheek squashes to hers, the pull of his mouth as he smiles.

“You’ve got me too,” she whispers.

 

-

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! I really enjoyed getting to write something tender and feelsy for valentines day, hopefully not too fluffy (but I love them being in love, eee <3) any comments and kudos are always adored and warmly appreciated! c’:
> 
> [@sillyshiro](http://sillyshiro.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! ^^


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